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Genesis Chapter
Eight
I.
Content of the Chapter
The
Process of the Waters’ Abating
A. The waters subsided (v.1-5);
B. Noah sent out a raven (v.6-7);
C. Noah sent out a dove for the first
time (v.8-9);
D. Noah sent out a dove for the second
time (v.10-11);
E. Noah sent out a dove for the third time (v.12);
Situations after Noah Went out of the Ark
A. Stand upon a new ground (v.13-19);
B. Build a new altar (v.20);
C. Make a new covenant (v.21-22);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Gen. 8:1 “Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all
the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass
over the earth, and the waters subsided.”
YLT:
“And
God remembereth Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle which with him
in the ark, and God causeth a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters
subside,”
Meaning
of Words: “wind”: breath, spirit;
Literal
Meaning: “God remembered
Noah”, the whole family of Noah had been in the ark for one hundred and fifty
days (Gen. 7:24). Apparently they were forgotten, but God did not forget them
actually. Here it emphasized the faithfulness and loving-kindness of God. When
God remembers a man, He often expresses it by “showing mercy” (Neh. 5:19;
13:31).
This verse indicated that the judgment
passed away. God would rather show grace than execute judgment all the time.
“And
God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided”, it was just the same as that in chapter
one ---- “and
the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”. Therefore, here it contains the meaning
of recreation. The second verse of chapter one mentioned the situation of
recreation. And here chapter eight and nine described a new beginning on the
earth.
Spiritual
Meaning: the eight souls of
Noah’s family typify those who are saved (1Pet. 3:20). The ark typifies Christ
(Gen. 6:14-15). And the waters of the flood typify the waters of baptism (1Pet.
3:21) as well as death and judgment (
Noah
went through the waters of the flood in the ark, which on one hand typified
Christ bore sins for believers and received the judgment of God in place of us
so as to deliver us from the eternal perdition, and on the other hand typify we
believers are baptized unto the death of Christ and are buried with Him and
have been planted together in the likeness of His death so as to be delivered
from sin (Rom. 6:3-7).
This
verse mentions God and the ark and the wind (the identical word to “spirit”),
which stands for the perfect working of the holy Trinity ---- God cares for us
and Christ died for us and the Spirit works in us so that we are enabled to
experience such wonderful salvation.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We are saved due to the loving attendance of
God. The salvation of God can never fail. God never forgets those who believe
Him.
2) If
a believer has been long in sufferings and trials, they may think God does not
care for him any ore. However, God always takes actions for those whom He cares
for in due time.
3)
Those who remember God must be remembered, no matter how lonely and painful
they feel.
4) If
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; Behold,
all things have become new (2Cor. 5:17).
Gen. 8:2 “The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were
also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.”
YLT:
“And
God remembereth Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle which with him
in the ark, and God causeth a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters
subside,”
Spiritual
Meaning: “stopped” and
“restrained”, it indicated that the judgment of God was passed. All those who
have believed into the Lord Jesus have been forgiven (Acts 10:43). And all obstacles
between God and us are eliminated so that God will please us (Col. 1:22).
Enlightenment
in the Word: all the experiences
and environments of believers are under the arrangement and government of God.
Gen. 8:3 “And the waters receded
continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters
decreased.”
YLT:
“And
turn back do the waters from off the earth, going on and returning; and the
waters are lacking at the end of a hundred and fifty days.”
Meaning
of Words: “recede”: turn back, lay down;
Enlightenment
in the Word: sufferings
are not removed immediately. When believers are chastened by God, though it is
painful, there will yield the fruit of peace afterwards (Heb. 12:11).
Gen. 8:4 “Then the ark rested in
the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of
Ararat.”
YLT:
“And
the ark resteth, in the seventh month, in the seventeenth day of the month, on
mountains of Ararat;”
Meaning
of Words: “rest”: settle down; “Ararat”: high land;
The Background: “the seventh month”, it was called “the
month Abib” in the
“The
mountains of Ararat”, it was located in the border area of
Spiritual
Meaning: the Lord Jesus is
the Lamb of the Passover (John 1:29, 36; Ex. 12:6), who was crucified for us on
the cross and risen three days later (Matt. 27:63). Therefore, “the seventh month, the
seventeenth day”, it typifies the
day of the Lord’s resurrection.
“The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat”, it typifies the ascension of Christ after resurrection
(1Pet. 3:21-22) and is seated in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) As the ark is, as are we who are in the ark. We
believers have been raised up and made sit down together in the heavenly places
(Eph. 2:6).
2) God
never makes us toss for a long time, but lets us rest in the peaceful and
stable place ---- in Christ.
3) The
church in the world is like the ship in turbulent sea. However, the Lord’s
presence will enable us to over the waves (Matt. 8:26) and be comforted (Acts
9:31).
Gen. 8:5 “And the waters decreased
continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the
month, the tops of the mountains were seen.”
YLT:
“and
the waters have been going and becoming lacking till the tenth month; in the
tenth, on the first of the month, appeared the heads of the mountains.”
Literal
Meaning: the
four words from verse two to five ---- “stopped”, “restrained”, “at the end of” and “were seen” ---- indicated that the
judgment of God by the waters of the flood was passed away. To those who are
saved, there will be a brand new situation.
“The tops of the mountains
were seen”, it means that
there is an assurance of the hope of salvation.
Spiritual
Meaning: “waters” typify
death.
This
verse indicates that the risen life of Christ cannot be held by death (Acts
2:24) but will swallow up death (1Cor. 15:54). The risen power of Christ
surpasses all that puts all things under His feet (Eph. 1:20-22).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We who have believed the Lord Jesus are
confident that the judgment is passed away. No matter how serious the sinful
cases are, God will not condemn anymore!
2) If
we have been raised with the Christ, seek the things above and set not our mind
on the things on the earth (3:1-2).
Gen. 8:6 “So it came to pass, at
the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had
made.”
YLT:
“And
it cometh to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah openeth the window of
the ark which he made,”
Literal
Meaning: “the
window of the ark” (Gen. 6:16), it is on the above of the ark. Man in the ark
can see the sky only, but not the situations around and beneath it.
Spiritual
Meaning: “forty days” typify
the period of temptation (Matt. 4:1-2). God did not foretell Noah when the
waters would stop, which was the best chance to try Noah’s faith and patience.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is the chance for believers to practice faith
and patience in temptations and trials.
2) Let
us pray continually and look upon God all the time so that we will not be
fretful but wait in rest.
Gen. 8:7 “Then he sent out a raven,
which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.”
YLT:
“and
he sendeth forth the raven, and it goeth out, going out and turning back till
the drying of the waters from off the earth.”
Literal
Meaning: it
was guessed that the raven did not die because it ate the dead bodies floating
on the waters.
“Kept
going to and fro”, it suggested that the raven did not leave the ark far away,
but probably stood upon the top of the ark instead of entering in.
Spiritual
Meaning: the raven is a kind
of unclean bird (Lev. 11:13, 15), which symbolizes the evil nature of man in
the old creation (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:5-9).
The
raven kept going to and fro upon the dead waters and was unwilling to return
back to the ark. Spiritually, it means that those who are of the flesh never
care about whether their living conditions are clean ---- they care for
themselves instead of others, and look upon the present rather than the
future.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) He who has no God in life has neither goal nor
direction, but only “keeps going to and fro” busily and lives in a disorderly
fashion every day.
2)
Some Christians are just like the raven, following the mass public opinions or
activities without rest.
Gen. 8:8 “He also sent out from
himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground.”
YLT:
“And
he sendeth forth the dove from him to see whether the waters have been lightened
from off the face of the ground,”
Spiritual
Meaning: “dove”, it is a sign of the Spirit (Matt.
3:16);
This verse implied that He was seeking the guidance
of the Spirit and whether the living environment was fit for the saints.
Gen. 8:9 “But the dove found no
resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him,
for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and
took her, and drew her into the ark to himself.”
YLT:
“and
the dove hath not found rest for the sole of her foot, and she turneth back
unto him, unto the ark, for waters on the face of all the earth, and he putteth
out his hand, and taketh her, and bringeth her in unto him, unto the ark.”
Literal
Meaning: the
dove is fond of a dry and clean environment and eats grains. Since there was
nothing to eat outside, the dove could only return back to the ark.
Spiritual
Meaning: the dove returned
back to the ark because of finding nothing to eat, which implied that those who
have been born again always take Christ as rest and blessing in a void
situation.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers will in no wise set their feet upon
the dead waters ---- things that are under the judgment of God.
2)
Since we believers are partakers of the divine nature (2Pet. 1:4), we have got
the inner inclination and interest of seeking holiness in life. Therefore, let
us not be friends of the world (James 4:4) so as not to be defiled with the
earthly filthiness.
3) Let
believers not imitate the raven to feed them with unclean things, but shall be
like the dove to seek spiritual food.
Gen. 8:10 “And he waited yet another
seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark.”
YLT: “And
he stayeth yet other seven days, and addeth to send forth the dove from the
ark;”
Literal
Meaning: “another seven days”, except for verse twelve, it also appears
in verse eight in some old scriptures. “Seven” stands for the number of
perfection. Therefore, “wait another seven days” means that Noah fully waited
for and looked upon the guidance of God.
Gen. 8:11 “Then the dove came to him
in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and
Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.”
YLT:
“and
the dove cometh in unto him at even-time, and lo, an olive leaf torn off in her
mouth; and Noah knoweth that the waters have been lightened from off the
earth.”
Literal
Meaning: “a freshly plucked olive
leaf”, the olive tree did not on high places. To
Noah, the freshly leaf showed that water has receded from the earth many days
so that the olive tree got enough time to put forth buds and leaves again. It
is originated from the holy Bible of the popular sign of peace in the world,
namely, a dove with an olive branch in mouth.
Spiritual
Meaning: olive typifies the
Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:3-6). The freshly olive leaves typify the newness of the
Spirit (
Spiritually, this verse means living in the newness of the Spirit is a
manifest token that life has swallowed up death (
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God knows when to give us invisible evidence or
when to give us visible evidence.
2) If
we can trust in Him and His words utterly, we can often get many visible
evidences.
Gen. 8:12 “So he waited yet another
seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.”
YLT: “And
he stayeth yet other seven days, and sendeth forth the dove, and it added not
to turn back unto him any more.”
Literal
Meaning: that
the dove went without returning again anymore showed the waters were dried up from the
earth.
Spiritual
Meaning: the Spirit dwells in
the clean and undefiled environment only.
This verse typifies that Christ may dwell in our
hearts (Eph. 3:17) if believers put to death the members which are upon the earth
by the Spirit (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5).
Gen. 8:13 “And it came to pass in
the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month,
that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of
the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.”
YLT:
“And
it cometh to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first , in the
first of the month, the waters have been dried from off the earth; and Noah
turneth aside the covering of the ark, and looketh, and lo, the face of the
ground hath been dried.”
Literal
Meaning: “in the first month, the
first day of the month”, here it implied
that human beings had a new beginning.
Note: though Noah saw the surface of the ground was
dry, he did not take actions immediately.
Enlightenment
in the Word: sight
is less than faith in God, for God knows the most proper time to go out.
Gen. 8:14 “And in the second month,
on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.”
YLT:
“And
in the second month, in the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth
hath become dry.”
Literal
Meaning: “in the second month, on the
twenty-seventh day of the month”, the waters of the
flood began “in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month” (Gen. 7:11). So far, it had been one year
and ten days.
Spiritual
Meaning: “in the second month, on the
twenty-seventh day of the month”, it is the
multiple of ten plus seven, indicating that God had temporarily fulfilled the
appointed judgment in His will.
In
verse thirteen and fourteen, there are three times of mentioning “the ground
was dry”, which shows that everything is brought back into line under the care
of “the holy Trinity”.
Gen. 8:15 “Then God spoke to Noah,
saying,”
YLT:
“And
God speaketh unto Noah, saying,”
Gen. 8:16 “"Go out of the ark,
you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.”
YLT:
“Go
out from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with
thee;”
Literal
Meaning: note
that the whole family of Noah “went into the ark” because of the word of God
(Gen. 7:1). Now it is still out of the word of God that “they could go out of
the ark”. Noah had seen the surface of the ground was dry “in the first month, the
first day of the month” (v.12), but he
still waited in the ark for more than fifty days and refused to go out by
himself.
It is
“going out” instead of “coming out”, which suggests that God Himself had also
entered into the ark and been with Noah all the time.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Let believers in no wise walk by sight or by
their own will but look upon and wait for the word of God.
2) The
first testimony of believers’ living in the newness of life is living by every
word which goes out through God’s mouth (Matt. 4:4).
3) Let
believers obey the guidance of God and magnify the Lord in everything.
4)
Only those who have entered into the ark can “go out” of the ark. Those who
have not entered into the Lord cannot manifest the divine life.
Gen. 8:17 “Bring out with you every
living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be
fruitful and multiply on the earth."”
YLT:
“every
living thing that with thee, of all flesh, among fowl, and among cattle, and
among every creeping thing which is creeping on the earth, bring out with thee”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If believers find favor before God, people and
things around them will also be blessed by God.
2) The
will of God is that the living things on the earth should “be fruitful and
multiply” on the earth and manifest their living vitality. God does not like us
“to have a name that we live and are dead” (Rev. 3:1).
3) Let
Christians preach the gospel with diligence that the children of God will “be
fruitful and multiply”.
Gen. 8:18 “So Noah went out, and his
sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.”
YLT:
“And
Noah goeth out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him;”
Literal
Meaning: “so”, it shows that they keep the word of God.
Spiritual
Meaning: “went out”, the sins and transgressions and old man of one who is saved
are buried in the dead water (undergo the waters of the flood in the ark) with
Christ. When he goes out of the water, he is a new creation and walk in newness
(
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God speaks to us for the purpose of making us
hear and obey.
2)
Whoever hears the words of the Lord and does them, he is a prudent man. The
foundation of his whole life is built upon the firm rock (Matt. 7:24-25).
3)
Whoever hears the words of the Lord and does not do them, he is a foolish man.
No matter how many fulfillments he has got in his life, he can still not stand
up to any test (Matt. 7:26-27).
Gen. 8:19 “Every animal, every creeping
thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their
families, went out of the ark.”
YLT:
“every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl; every creeping thing on the
earth, after their families, have gone out from the ark.”
Literal
Meaning: “every...”: with rare exceptions; whatever was
entrusted to Noah, he took care of them faithfully.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All that God has given to the Lord Jesus, He
shall lose nothing (John 6:38; 18:9).
2) Let
us be a faithful and prudent bondman whom his lord has set over his household
to give them food in season (Matt. 24:45).
Gen. 8:20 “Then Noah built an altar
to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
YLT:
“And
Noah buildeth an altar to Jehovah, and taketh of every clean beast, and of
every clean fowl, and causeth burnt-offerings to ascend on the altar;”
Literal
Meaning: “built
an altar to the LORD”, there are two great common mistakes of the common people: 1) be
favored but not grateful (Luke 17:12-18); 2) pay more attention to the tool
through which God grants His grace (e.g. The ark) but ignore the God who is the
source of grace. Noah here built the altar to “give thanks” to God.
“Burnt
offerings”: put the offerings on the alter and burn them all to God (Lev. 1:4);
Spiritual
Meaning: alter typifies the cross of Christ. Burnt offerings typify that Christ
died on the cross to satisfy the righteous requirements of God to bring about a
reconciliation between God and men (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:16).
That Noah offered burnt offerings to God
typified that he yielded himself to God as alive from among dead (Rom. 6:13;
12:1). Therefore, offering burnt offerings represents that we are gained by
God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Noah’s obedience by faith was in keeping with
his worship by faith. Where he built the altar was exactly the place that had
been just undergone the judgment.
2) Let
not believers be drawn by the tool or customs or letter of God’s salvation to
leave God Himself. No spiritual thing is able to replace the position of God.
3) Man
can draw near to God by offerings. Let believers often offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God.
4) Man
shall find favor of God in Christ only.
5) All
believers that are saved are no longer their own (1Cor. 6:19). Therefore, we,
now, live unto the Lord, not to ourselves (
Gen. 8:21 “And the LORD smelled a
soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse
the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from
his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”
YLT:
“and
Jehovah smelleth the sweet fragrance, and Jehovah saith unto His heart, `I
continue not to disesteem any more the ground because of man, though the
imagination of the heart of man evil from his youth; and I continue not to
smite any more all living, as I have done;”
Literal
Meaning: “smelled
a soothing aroma”, it is a kind of symbolic saying, which shows that God accepts the
worship of His children to Him (Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18).
“I will never again curse the ground
for man's sake”, God will no longer curse the earth (the living environment of man)
according to the conditions of men.
“Although
the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth”, it indicates that the
fact “that sinners may commit sins” cannot be changed because of the inborn
corrupted nature even though they are chastened again and again
“Nor
will I again destroy every living thing as I have done”, it shows that God will
not deal with sins of men by the destructive flood (Gen. 9:11, 15). However, it
does not mean there will not be regional flood anymore.
Spiritual
Meaning: “a soothing
aroma” typifies that we will be the soothing aroma of Christ (2Cor. 2:14-15)
when we devote ourselves to God because of the knowledge of Christ so that the
heart of God will be satisfied.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God changes His mind because He has pleased with
the soothing aroma of the offerings man has offered, not that He ignores man’s
sins.
2) Man
was brought forth in iniquity (Ps. 51:5; 58:3). No flesh shall be justified
before God by good works (
3)
That we believers are accepted by God are utterly for the sake of Christ
instead of our own goodness.
Gen. 8:22 “"While the earth
remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and
night Shall not cease."”
YLT:
“during
all days of the earth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night, do not cease.'”
Literal
Meaning: this verse shows that the time and seasons appointed
in God’s creation will be kept till the end of the world (Gen. 1:14).
“While the earth remains”, it suggests
that this earth will not remain one day and will be replaced by “the new earth”
at that time (Heb. 1:11; 2Pet. 3:10, 13; Rev. 21:1).
“Seedtime and harvest”: it refers to the sprouting and ripening
of the seed, “cold and heat”
refer to the climate, “winter
and summer” relate to seasons, “day
and night” refers to the time of days; all the above-mentioned elements are
closely related to the survival of all living things.
In other words, when the
earth will not remain, all of these will be stopped.
Spiritual
Meaning: spiritually, this verse reveals that all things work together for good to
those who love God (Rom. 8:28).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Since the world and all things thereof pass
away, let us not set our mind on things on the earth (Phil. 3:19), but on
things above (Col. 3:2).
2) God
makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45). However, God makes all things work together for
good to those who love God (Rom. 8:28).
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Experience the Death
and Resurrection in Christ
A. Die with Christ:
1. Noah underwent the flood in the ark (chap. 7).
2. The waters of the flood decreased (v.1-3) ----
which showed the judgment was over.
B. Live with Christ:
1. The
ark rested on the mountains of Ararat (v.4) ---- be raised up with
Christ;
2. The
tops of the mountains were seen (v.5) ---- ascend with Christ;
Be a New Creation in
Christ
A. On one hand, we still have the evil nature of
the old creation:
1. Raven (v.6-7) typifies the evil nature of the old
creation;
2. The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his
youth (v.21) ---- man is still born with the sinful nature;
B. On the other hand, we are partakers
of the holy nature of God:
1. The dove (v.8-12) symbolizes things concerning
the Spirit ---- the new life born from the Spirit;
2. A freshly plucked olive lead was in the dove’s
mouth (v.11) ---- have the newness of the Spirit;
3. The ground was dry (v.13-14) ---- live in the
clean and undefiled environment;
Live in the Newness
of Life
A. Live by the word of God only:
1. God spoke to Noah (v.15) ---- look upon and wait
for the word of God always;
2. All went out of the ark (v.17-19) ---- keep the
word of God;
B. Live unto God:
1. Built the alter and offer the burnt offerings
(v.20) ---- offer oneself and live unto God through the works of Christ’s
cross;
2. Give out the soothing aroma and be accepted by
God (v.21);
3. The living environment is kept by God (v.22);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou